Is Breast Cancer genetic?!


Question: The truth is we don't know what causes breast cancer.

There are certain factors that seem to increase your risk, like family history etc. and certain factors that seem to decrease your risk, like breastfeeding etc.

I had none of the risk factors and did a number of the things that are supposed to decrease your risk and I was diagnosed at only age 28.

There's lots of really good information at breastcancer.org if you're looking for more.


Answers: The truth is we don't know what causes breast cancer.

There are certain factors that seem to increase your risk, like family history etc. and certain factors that seem to decrease your risk, like breastfeeding etc.

I had none of the risk factors and did a number of the things that are supposed to decrease your risk and I was diagnosed at only age 28.

There's lots of really good information at breastcancer.org if you're looking for more.

if you have a family history to any cancer you are more prone to it

yes. alot of things are genetic. If it runs in your family then its genetic.

No. I don't think so. But your chances are higher if it runs in your family.

I agree with the red head....my cousin had breast cancer but she passed away 7 years ago...her great grandmother had it and so did her mother

yeah it can be, if your mother or grandmother, maternally, had it then you are more likely to develop it. My mother died of breast cancer when I was 15, so I am at a higher risk than others, but that doesn't mean that I will definetly get it. Women with no family history are also susceptible to it, no-one is immune from the dreadful disease.

you're more likely to get it if relatives on your mother's side has it, but you should go for an anual check up anyways
my aunt on my mother's side has had it seven times but im clear of it.... lets hope it stays that way!

Yes, if you have a first degree relative(such as a mother, sister) with breast cancer your chances of getting it double.

types of breast cancer are..types of breast cancer are not.

BRCA1 or BRCA2 predispose to breast cancer and ovarian cancer as well as prostate cancer (BRCA1) and other cancers (BRCA2).

Hereditary breast cancer is much rarer than many people think. Only 5 -10% of breast cancer cases are due to hereditary factors. Most are random.

My oncologist was able to assure me that my breast cancer was not hereditary and that other women and girls in my family were not at increased risk.

You would normally be regarded as at increased risk if a first-degree relative - parent, sibling - had one of the faulty BCRA genes; even if they did, it would not mean you had inherited it and even if you had it would not mean that you would definitely get breast cancer.

.If someone develops breast cancer after the age of 50, it is less likely to be hereditary

Cancer itself isn't genetic. We all have cancer cells in us. The question is, are they active and are they growing. If you have cancer in your family history, then the odds of you being diagnosed with active cancer anywhere in your body (not just breasts) is moderate to high. I would get a momogram and a blood screen for cancer every year once you turn 25, just to be on the safe side, and put the worrying aside uless you get a positve result. If you spend your whole life worrying you'll get cancer, then chances are that you may. Live life to the fullest, but get screened yearly. Good luck.

Genes -- Some people have genes that make them more prone to developing breast cancer. The most common gene defects are found in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. These genes normally produce proteins that protect you from cancer. But if a parent passes you a defective gene, you have an increased risk for breast cancer. Women with one of these defects have up to an 80% chance of getting breast cancer sometime during their life.

Other genetic defects have been linked to breast cancer, including those found in the ATM gene, the CHEK-2 gene, and the p53 tumor suppressor gene, but these are very rare.

Sometimes breast cancer is genetic. However, most cases are not. As mentioned in other answers, a mutation in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene (most common genes involved in hereditary breast cancer) can predispose someone to an increased chance of developing breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer. Carriers of this genetic mutation have a 50% chance of passing it on to a child. Men can carry this gene as well and pass it on. Genetic counseling and testing is sometimes recommended to patients with a strong family history.
Usually, families with one of these genetic mutations have a very strong history(mom and sister, grandma and aunt, etc) of breast and/or ovarian cancer in the family occuring at an early age (i.e. 20-50 yrs old). The family history can be misleading though, for example, if you got the gene from your dad who got it from his dad or if for some tragic reason, the woman carrier(s) died from something else before the cancer developed.





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